The world is waiting...

“The world was waiting for the spirit of yes we can, but all we got was my way or the highway.

President Obama can still save Copenhagen by doing what he called on other leaders to do and give some ground by increasing his commitment to cut global warming pollution. But as it is he crossed an ocean to tell the world he has nothing new to offer, then he said take it or leave it.

By offering no movement on US global warming pollution cuts he showed his disregard for the science and the victims of climate change in the United States and abroad. He now risks being branded as the man who killed Copenhagen.

He said all parties must move, but he offered no movement. He said the decades long split between the rich world and poor needs to end, but his vision of a deal here would give us a three degree Celcius temperature rise which will devastate Africa and the small island states.”

"It seems we are heading for an agreement that is gutless in substance and tone - full of weak aspirational language that amounts to wishing and hoping - rather than a commitment to ambitious action by everyone and particularly by the rich industrialised countries who must rectify the damage caused to the atmosphere over the last 200 years.

The benchmark for any Copenhagen agreement must be protection of the most vulnerable states and their people. That is absolutely the bottom line. That means the industrialised world making deep emissions cuts of at least 40% by 2020 and putting at least $140 billion per year on the table to fund developing country action and adaptation.

All countries must agree to negotiate and finalise two legally binding treaties within six months.

Heads of State have very few hours to salvage the situation and turn it into a deal that will protect people and nature. Failure to do so would be unforgivable"